Roberta Rich

Historical/Thriller

Praise for The Midwife of Venice:

"Roberta Rich introduces a unique heroine, and her wry humour leavens a serious subject. Not wholly an intense social drama or an over-the-top adventure, The Midwife of Venice is a quirky blend of both."Globe & Mail

"The Midwife of Venice is a compelling and engaging novel, a well-researched high-stakes drama written with elegance and compassion. Fascinating!"Sandra Gulland, author ofThe Josephine B. Trilogy and Mistress of the Sun

"An engrossing, well-written, and fast-paced story about a fascinating period in history. The descriptions of sixteenth century Venice were so vivid, they were almost tangible."Joy Fielding, author of See Jane Run and Charley's Web

"Not only did Roberta Rich transport me to 16th century Venice with its seductive tapestries of smells, sights, textures, and beliefs, she involved me in a poignant story of seasoned love."Katherine Ashenburg, author of The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History and The Mourner's Dance

"Rich paints vivid imagery...The Midwife of Venice offers much for readers to learn in the ways of Renaissance-era midwifery, the slave trade and even the diabolical tricks of 16th century courtesans."Winnipeg Free Press

"compelling... those who are curious about religion, birthing or 16th century history will enjoy this book."Vancouver Sun

"The Midwife of Venice is one of the best novels to be written in the genre of historical fiction since The Girl with the Pearl Earring.BlogCritics

Doubleday Canada February 2011

Bloomsbury Berlin Germany 2011

Gallery/Simon&Schuster United States February 2012

Ebury/Random House UK February 2012

Inkilap Kitabevi Turkey 2012

Medialive Content Spain 2012

Juritzen Forlag Norway 2012

Tericum Kiado Hugary 2012

Hermes Books Bulgaria 2013

Novo Seculo Brazil 2013

KinneretIsrael 2013

Court Echelle Quebec 2013

Alnari Serbia 2013

Boekencentrum Uitgevers Netherlands 2013

Ikar, Slovakia 2014

Roberta Rich

The Midwife of Venice

Hannah ha-Levi, a midwife in the Venetian ghetto is put in terrible danger. She has gained renown for her skill in coaxing reluctant babies out of their mother’s bellies using her “birthing spoons” as rudimentary forceps. One night a Christian nobleman, Conte Paolo di Padovani appears at Hannah’s door in the Jewish ghetto with an impossible request.

He implores Hannah to help his dying wife and save their unborn child. But a Papal edict has made it a crime, punishable by death, for Jews to give medical treatment to Christians. The Conte offers her a huge sum of money, enough to enable her to sail to Malta to ransom her beloved husband, Isaac. He was captured at sea and is a slave of the Knights of St. John.

Hannah acquiesces and delivers the infant, Matteo, a child who captures her heart. As she prepares to depart for Malta to rescue Isaac, she discovers that the baby’s uncles are plotting to murder the baby in order to seize the family fortune.

In the absence of the Conte and his wife who are in Ferrara on urgent family matters, Hannah believes she must safeguard Matteo. She enlists her sister Jessica who is a courtesan and living as a Christian outside the ghetto. An outbreak of the plague traps them in Venice and makes them easy prey for the baby’s murderous uncles.

Woven through Hannah’s travails are Isaac’s hardships as a slave in Malta. Blessed with wit and charm, he earns scraps of food as a scribe and pins his hopes for freedom on bartering his precious silkworm eggs. To reach Isaac, who believes she has died in the plague, Hannah must outsmart the Padovani family and sail to Malta before Isaac manages to buy his passage to a new life in Constantinople.

Roberta Rich has crafted an enthralling story that makes 16th Century Venice throb with life and suspense. Her next novel will be set in Constantinople. She divides her time between Vancouver and Mexico.